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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1985
+DRYING RACKS SUSPENDED FROM THE CEILING OF THE BALCONY ARE ALSO PROVIDED IN ESTATES, BUT THE TRADITIONAL METHOD OF A POLE IN THE SUNLIGHT IS PREFERRED.+
MR LIAO SAID THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS CONTINUING TO LOOK FOR IMPROVEMENTS AND ON A NUMBER OF NEW ESTATES, NEW METHODS FOR DRYING WERE BEING TRIED OUT.
OF THE THREE REPORTED ACCIDENTS, HE SAID TWO INVOLVED SLIGHT INJURIES BECAUSE OF FALLING ORJECTS. THE OTHER WAS THE FATAL CASE OF AN OLD LADY WHO HAD SLIPPED AND FALLEN OFF THE BALCONY WHILE STANDING ON A HIGH STOOL.
RIVER POLLUTION CAUSED BY LACK OF FLUSHING FLOW
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POLLUTION OF WATERCOURSES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WAS EXACERBATED BY THE GENERAL LACK OF FLUSHING FLOW DURING MUCH OF THE YEAR, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON JOHN CHAMBERS, SAID TODAY.
MR CHAMBERS LISTED THREE MAJOR CAUSES OF POLLUTION OF THE WATERCOURSES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, IN REPLY TO A QUESTION RAISED BY THE HON CHEUNG YAN-LUNG.
FIRSTLY AND MOST IMPORTANT WAS THE INDISCRIMINATE DISPOSAL OF FARM WASTE, MAINLY THE EXCRETA OF PIGS, CHICKENS AND DUCKS, AT A RATE OF ABOUT 2 000 TONNES A DAY BY DIRECT OR INDIRECT FLUSHING INTO NEARBY WATERCOURSES.
+THIS IS THE MAIN CAUSE OF THE NOXIOUS APPEARANCE AND SMELL
OF MANY STREAMS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, HE SAID,
SECONDLY, OUTSIDE NEW TOWN BOUNDARIES, WHERE THERE WERE GENERALLY NO COMMUNAL SEWAGE DISPOSAL FACILITIES, WASTES ARISING FROM THE HUMAN POPULATION IN SOME VILLAGES AND SQUATTER AREAS ADDED TO THE POLLUTION LOAD ON WATERCOURSES,
THIRDLY, MANY INDUSTRAIL ESTABLISHMENTS HAD RUDIMENTARY OR NON-EXISTENT WASTE TREATMENT FACILITIES, AND THUS CONTRIBUTED TO THE POLLUTION BY DISCHARGING THEIR EFFLUENTS MORE OR LESS DIRECTLY INTO THE ENVIRONMENT.
SPEAKING OF POLLUTION OF THE YUEN LONG NULLAH IN PARTICULAR, MR CHAMBERS SAID THE PROBLEMS WERE SIMILAR TO THE REST OF THE NEW TERRITORIES.
ACCORDING TO A 1979 SURVEY, THE YUEN LONG NULLAH RECEIVED THE BULK OF THE WASTES FROM ABOUT 76 000 PIGS, 532 000 CHICKENS AND 57 000 DUCKS, TOGETHER WITH THE WASTES FROM THE MAJORITY OF ABOUT 30 000 PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN OLD STYLE VILLAGE HOUSING AND TEMPORARY STRUCTURES IN THE AREA, MR CHAMBERS SAID.
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